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EVEBYCHILD'S SERIES 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO 
DALLAS • SAN FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN & CO., Limited 

LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. 

TORONTO 



EVEBTCHILD'S SERIES 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 



BY 



FLORENCE V. FARMER 

VICE-PRINCIPAL RIDGE STREET SCHOOL, NEWARK, N.J. 
AUTHOR OF "THE PLAN BOOK," " MYTHS OF 
MANY LANDS," ETC. * 



ILLUSTRATIONS BY 
L^TITIA N. HERR 



Neftr ff orfe 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

1912 

All rights reserved 






Copyright, 1912, 
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. 



Set up and electrotyped. Published May, 191 a. 



Norfajooti $ rtss 

J. 8. Cushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. 

Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. 



/ 



€CI.A316089 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Princess Elizabeth and the King .... 1 
How Jean found the Calf . . . . . 7 

The Fall of London Bridge . . . .15 

Robert and the Spy . . . . . . .21 

Roland and the Jewel 28 

The Drummer Boy 34 

How a Boy saved a Queen 42 

An American Army of Two 47 

The Sword of King Arthur 54 

David, the Brave Shepherd Boy . . . .63 

A Brave Indian Girl 74 

At the Ford of the Tribute 81 

Betty Zane 88 

The Young Hannibal 94 

King Alfred . 100 

A Brave Russian Girl . . . . . . 106 

Noel Duval . . 116 

A Friend of the Prince 125 




PRINCESS ELIZABETH AND 
THE KING 

Down the broad stairway 
of the palace came a tall, fair- 
haired maiden of about fifteen 
years. She wore a gown of 
rich velvet, and a cloak of royal ermine hung 
from her shoulders. Upon her head was a 
net of gold set with pearls, and many jewels 
glittered at her throat. She was the Lady 
Elizabeth, Princess of England. 

As she joined the group of young girls 
awaiting her, she noticed a strange horse 
tied beside the King's at the foot of the 
terrace. 

"Whose steed is that?" she asked. 



2 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

" It is a new one, brought for the King to 
look at, your highness/' answered one of the 
girls. "But he is so wild that no one dares 
to ride him." 

"What a beauty!" cried the princess. 
"How I should like to ride him. I do believe 
I could!" 

"You ride him!" cried the girls. "You 
would surely be killed, if you tried." 

"Did I not ride my brother's horse, Black 
Richard?" asked the princess, proudly. 

"Oh, yes," said the girls, "but he had been 
well trained and this horse has not. Surely 
you would not dare to ride him !" 

"Not dare!" cried the princess. "Who 
says not dare to me ?" 

She swept by them all, dropped her royal 
cloak of ermine upon the stairs, leaped into 
the saddle, and seized the reins. 

The astonished horse tossed his head angrily 
and then, with a fierce snort of rage, tore 
through the gate and down the road. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 3 

A cry of horror broke from the terror- 
stricken girls, and no one knew what to do. 

The young princess, brave though she was, 
looked back at her friends, half in fear, half 
in triumph as, still firm in the saddle, she 
sped on in her mad ride. 

The horse had taken the bit in his teeth, 
but a sharp tug at the bridle drew his head 
around, and suddenly he turned and gal- 
loped back again straight through the gate, 
to the steps of the palace. He scattered the 
crowd of frightened girls in every direction 
as he flew past them. Then, with a sudden 
and mighty bound, he cleared the low river 
wall and leaped into the water. 

"Help, help!" screamed the maidens. 
"The Princess Elizabeth is drowning!" 

The door of the palace was flung open, and 
above the shouts was heard a clear young 
voice. 

"What means this noise? Have you all 
gone crazy?" 



4 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

"The King! the King! it is the King!" 
whispered the girls in awed tones. 

The young boy who stood upon the terrace 
was fair and frail but of noble mien. His 
suit was of black velvet trimmed with gold 
and rare lace, and he wore a long white plume 
in his velvet cap. 

"Oh, your majesty, your majesty!" cried 
the girls, "the Princess Elizabeth is drown- 
ing ! See, see, she's in the river !" 

Down the broad stairway sprang the startled 
King. 

"My sister drowning," he cried, "and 
no one tries to save her ! Will you let her 
drown before your eyes? Where is she?" 

' ' There, there, ' ' cried the girls. ' ' She would 
mount the new horse, and he leaped into the 
river with her." 

The King jumped upon Black Richard's 
back, and in an instant had urged the horse 
over the wall into the river. 

Elizabeth, still holding tightly to the wild 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 5 

steed's mane, called out to the King, "Help, 
help, dear Edward ! I will hold here till you 
come." 

The horse made violent plunges and tried 
in every way to get his rider off his back, but 
the brave girl clung to his neck and waited 
for her brother. 

But Black Richard was startled by his 
plunge into the river, and the boy King, though 
a cool and fearless rider, had great trouble in 
guiding him. 

At last he reached his sister's side. 

"Hold fast, hold fast, Elizabeth," he cried. 
"I will lead your horse to the shore." 

The brave lad had now a double duty, to 
guide his own good steed and to lead the wild 
creature bearing the princess. 

"Oh, Edward, I can hold on no longer," 
called Elizabeth, feebly. "I am sinking." 

"Quick, jump to Black Richard's back," 
said Edward, "and let your horse go." 

"Oh, I cannot, I cannot," moaned the girl. 
"I have no strength left." 



6 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

"Jump, jump, I tell you! It's your only 
chance/' cried her brother. 

She tried, but she fell into the water and 
sank from sight. 

Without a moment's hesitation, the King 
dived after her. Soon he rose to the surface, 
clutching his sister's gown. Holding her 
tightly with one arm, he swam towards his 
horse. 

"Good Richard," he called, "come to 
me." 

The noble animal swam straight towards 
the struggling boy. 

The King flung the princess across Black 
Richard's back. Then he climbed after her 
and grasped the bridle with his left hand. 
Holding his sister with his right, he guided the 
horse to the shore. 

Strong arms drew them from the water. 
With thankful hearts and words of wonder 
and of pride, the people cheered their brave 
young King. 




HOW JEAN 
FOUND THE CALF 



The calf Trubb was losjt. 

Since early morning Jean had searched for 
her. Now it was growing dark, and the boy 
was tired. 

The calf was the pet and pride of little 
Susanna. Its loss meant tears and trouble, 
and Jean could not bear to see the small Su- 
sanna in tears. So, tired though he was, he 
started on again along the beach, over the 
hill, and through the dark forest. 

"Perhaps Trubb is in the woods/' he 
thought. 

Suddenly he remembered that it was Christ- 



8 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

mas Eve, Not that Christmas Eve could 
mean much to Jean ! For five long years he 
had lived and worked among people who had 
no holidays and who thought it wicked to 
seek pleasure. But the little French boy could 
not forget all the fun of Christmas in his old 
home in Canada. 

"Trubb shall be my Christmas gift to little 
Susanna/' he thought. 

On the boy tramped through the woods. 
By and by he came near a pile of stones. The 
Indians had built this pile as a sign of peace 
after the last war. Neither Indian nor white 
man would touch it so long as the country 
was at peace. 

As Jean drew near, he saw a sight that made 
him stop in terror. Then he crept back and 
hid among the trees. 

There before him, he saw an Indian stand- 
ing silently by the peace pile. Then two 
other Indians glided from the woods and 
stood beside this one. Silently they went to 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 9 

work. They were pulling down the peace 
pile ! War was in the land again ! 

"What shall I do ?" thought Jean. 

For an instant he hesitated. Then he 
turned and ran swiftly towards the settlement. 
First he must warn his friends, then he must 
hurry to the next settlement for help. He 
knew that the weak little fort could not hold 
out long against a large band of Indians. 

He thought of a fair-haired little girl flee- 
ing before an Indian hatchet, and the thought 
urged him on. Susanna must be saved ! 

"Hello ! hello !" he called at the first house. 
" Get up ! get up ! The Indians are coming ! " 

Old Grandpa Parkins almost tumbled out 
of bed in his hurry. He rushed to the win- 
dow and flung open the heavy shutter. 

"The peace pile is down!" cried Jean. 
"Tell the people! I will run to Fort Saco 
for help. Tell everybody to hurry into the 
fort. And will you please see that little Su- 
sanna is safe ? " 



10 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Then the boy rushed on and was soon out 
of sight in the darkness. 

The tidings of danger spread. From every 
home in the settlement came men, women, 
and children, hurrying to the rough stone 
fort. There were about one hundred in all, 
but of these only thirty were fighting men. 

Meanwhile Jean ran on. It was a good 
ten miles from the settlement to Fort Saco, 
and the road was sandy and rough. But 
straight on ran Jean. Sometimes he stum- 
bled; sometimes he fell. He was frightened 
at every sound and every moving object, 
but he must get to Fort Saco before midnight. 

Suddenly a form rose before him in the 
darkness. Jean's heart throbbed fiercely. 
Before he could draw his knife, the form was 
upon him. Then Jean felt a cold nose against 
his burning cheek. He broke into a laugh and 
flung his arms about the neck of Trubb, the 
calf. 

He was so happy at finding Trubb, that for 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 11 

a moment he forgot the danger, but only for 
a moment. Then he remembered what he had 
to do. So on again he started, dragging the 
calf at his heels. 

But Trubb was in no hurry and poor Jean 
had to pull hard to make her go at all. 

"This will not do," he thought. "I can 
never get there with this calf pulling me back. 
I must tie her here and come for her after- 
ward." 

He took a strong fish cord from his pocket 
and tied Trubb to a pine tree. Then again 
he sped on his way. 

At the settlement Christmas morning 
dawned upon a strange, grim scene. The 
houses were all deserted. Behind rocks and 
trees were hidden Indians. Within the fort 
the people were crowded together, praying 
for help. Their powder was nearly gone. 
Their only hope lay in Jean's message to Saco. 

There were some among the people who 
put small faith in Jean. 



12 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

"He will not help us," they said. "He is 
French and will bring the French soldiers 
against us." 

But little Susanna said, "He will come, if 
he lives, and so will Trubb. Jean has prom- 
ised, and he never breaks a promise." 

The Indians crept nearer and nearer. The 
people within the fort were in despair. 

Suddenly a cry arose. 

"A sail ! a sail ! The soldiers are coming 
from Saco ! Now, you redskins, we'll show 
you!" 

Then the people in the fort fired their last 
shots at the crawling forms behind the rocks. 

Making straight for the fort was a boat 
filled with soldiers. As she neared the point, 
the men in her began firing. The Indians 
fled before the steady volley, and the soldiers, 
landing quickly, drove them back into the 
forest. 

When the fighting was over, Susanna asked, 
"Where is Jean?" 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 13 

"He is not here/' said the men. "He 
warned us, then he went away, and we know 
nothing about him." 

"It is not like Jean," said little Susanna, 
weeping. "He promised to find Trubb." 

In the afternoon of Christmas Day the peo- 
ple left the fort and went back to their own 
homes. 

As Susanna and her mother drew near their 
little house, they saw smoke curling above 
the chimney. They had left no fire. Who 
could be in their house ? Was it the Indians ? 

Cautiously they opened the door. 

Within, a fire was burning, the kettle was 
singing merrily, and their supper was ready 
on the table. But best of all there was Jean, 
while close at hand was Trubb, the calf. 

Though nothing was said of the day, for 
none but Jean took note of such a day, there 
was surely never a happier Christmas Day, 
and never was there a more welcome Christ- 
mas gift than Trubb, the calf. 




14 



THE FALL OF LONDON BRIDGE 

" London Bridge is fallen down, 
Fallen down, fallen down, 
London Bridge is fallen down, 
My fair lady !" 

Young Ethelred* was King of England. 
He was called Ethelred "the Unready/' and 
unready the Danes had found him. 

They had come with their armies to take 
his kingdom from him. The boy was no 
match for the fierce Norsemen. So they 
seized London and the King was in despair. 
Could he ever regain his capital city ? 

Across the sea in Norway was another boy 
King, young Olaf, and he was always ready. 
Olaf the Brave, they called him. At thirteen 
he had won his first great victory over a fleet 

* Eth'-el-red. 
15 



16 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

of these same Danes, and now he was a war- 
rior tried. 

Word came to Olaf that King Ethelred was 
in trouble and was calling for the help of all 
good warriors. So he quickly hoisted his 
blue and crimson sails and steered his twenty 
warships over the sea to aid the English King. 
Up the river and straight for London he 
rowed. 

Just below the city King Ethelred met 
the strangers. 

"Whence come ye," he asked, "and why 
have ye come hither?" 

" I am Olaf and we have brought our swords 
to fight for thee," said Olaf, "We fight for 
love of fighting." 

"All hail to Olaf the Brave," cried the King, 
and at his command the war horns sounded a 
mighty welcome. 

"Thou hast come in right good time," said 
the King, "for the Danes have taken London 
and are in my father's castle. They have 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 17 

built a strong fort of stones and earth and 
have placed a large army there/' 

"Why do you not go against the fort and 
take it ?" asked Olaf. 

"I tried/' replied the King, "but could 
do nothing/' 

"Why not?" asked Olaf. 

"Because/' replied the King, "the Danes 
have posted soldiers all along the bridge, and 
we cannot get near enough to attack. They 
throw down stones, spears, and arrows upon 
our ships, so that we are driven back." 

"Why do you not pull down the bridge?" 
asked Olaf. 

"Pull down the bridge !" cried the amazed 
King. "How could we do that? Have we 
a Samson among us ?" 

"Bring your ships alongside mine," said 
Olaf, "and I will show you how to pull it 
down." 

"Be it so," said Ethelred, and he gave 
orders for his men to obey Olaf. 



18 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

So Olaf made ready to pull down the bridge. 
He ordered the men to make great platforms. 
They even tore down houses to get enough 
wood. These platforms were placed as roofs 
to cover the ships, and were supported by 
pillars. Now the men could work protected 
from the stones and spears of the Danes. 

When all was ready, Olaf commanded 
the rowers to move the roofed warships close 
up to London Bridge. 

As they drew near, the Danes cast stones, 
arrows, and spears upon them. Some of the 
ships were so badly damaged that they re- 
tired down the river. But Olaf was not to 
be driven back. Straight ahead he went, un- 
til he was close to the bridge. 

"Now bring out the cables/' he shouted, 
" and lay them around the piles I" 

The men reached out from under the roofs 
and passed stout cables twice around the 
wooden supports of the bridge. The ends 
were made fast to the ships. Then Olaf s 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 19 

twenty warships turned and headed down- 
stream. 

'Tut out all the oars/' shouted Olaf. 
"Now, men, pull! Pull as if for Norway!" 

Forward and backward swayed the strong 
Norse rowers; tighter and tighter stretched 
the cables ; faster and faster rained the stones 
and weapons upon the roofs of the ships ! 
Slowly but surely the wooden piles under the 
great bridge were loosened by the steady tug 
of the cables. The bridge began to sway and 
then to bend downstream. 

"Now, once more/' shouted Olaf. "All 
together, pull!" 

With a sudden spurt, the warships darted 
down the river, and with them went the piles 
of London Bridge. 

A mighty shout arose. The bridge gave 
way and with a great roar and splash it fell 
into the river. Most of the men on it fell 
with it, while the others fled, some one way, 
some another. 



20 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Young Olaf and his men and the English 
soldiers sprang ashore and stormed the fort. 
They carried all before them and the Danes 
were driven from the city. 

So Ethelred won back his capital and he 
ever honored above all others Olaf, the Boy 
Viking. 




ROBERT AND THE SPY 



"I wish I were a hero," sighed eight-year- 
old Robert. "I wish I were grown up and 
could go to war." 

Robert's father was a soldier and was away 
from home fighting for his country. The 
little boy had heard many tales of heroes. He 
longed to do some brave deed such as those 
heroes had done, but he lived a very quiet 

21 



22 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

life and never seemed to have a chance to be 
a hero. 

" Never mind, my son/' said his mother. 
"There are many heroes who never go to 
war. You may have a chance some day to 
be a hero right here in your own home." 

Scarcely had she spoken when they heard 
a noise at the door. It sounded as if some 
one had fallen on their little porch. 

The mother hurried to the door to see what 
the noise could be. 

There on the doorstep lay a soldier. His 
eyes were closed and his face was pale. He 
looked as if he were dying. 

He wore an enemy's uniform, but Robert's 
mother could not let even an enemy die for 
the want of a little help. 

"Come, Robert/' she said, "we must get 
him into the house. But first go and get a 
glass of water." 

As Robert ran for the water, the soldier 
opened his eyes. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 23 

"Help me," he whispered. "I am not 
a British soldier. I am an American spy. 
The British are after me. Help me to hide." 

Then the eyes closed again. The sick man 
had fainted. 

The sound of galloping horses was heard far 
away. The woman saw two horsemen coming 
over the hill. There was not a minute to 
lose ! 

Seizing him by the shoulders, she and Rob- 
ert dragged the wounded man into the house 
and locked him in a secret closet. 

When the two horsemen stopped at the 
door the woman was busy in the kitchen, 
while Robert was playing with the cat on the 
porch. But he was pale, and his hands 
trembled. 

One of the men noticed how white and 
scared he looked. So, seizing him roughly 
by the arm, he shouted, "Where is the spy 
who came down this way a little while ago? 
Tell us quickly!" 



24 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Poor little Robert ! He trembled so, he 
could not have answered if he had tried. 

"The boy knows something/ ' said one man 
to the other. "We can soon frighten him 
into telling what he knows/ ' 

"No, you can't/' cried Robert, who had 
at last found his voice. "I shall never tell 
you where he is." 

The poor child was brave, but he was not 
very wise. 

"You won't tell?" shouted the man. 
"Then you will go with us. We will shut 
you up in a big, dark prison until you will 
tell." 

He caught hold of Robert and, jumping 
upon his horse, galloped away with the boy 
before him on the saddle. 

"Robert, Robert/' screamed his mother; 
but the man rode on, taking no notice of her 
cries. 

Across the fields, over the hills, and through 
the woods they galloped. At length they 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 25 

came to the headquarters of the British 
army. 

"Will you tell us now?" asked the man. 

"No," sobbed Robert, his lips trembling so 
that he could scarcely speak. "No, I will 
never tell you." 

"Waste no more time on him," said an- 
other man. "Come, we must be off. Lock 
the boy in the cellar." 

A soldier picked up the little fellow and 
carried him away, while the two men rode off. 

Robert cried and struggled, but it was of 
no use. He was thrown roughly down on 
the cellar floor. Then in a moment he heard 
the great iron door slammed and locked. For 
hours and hours he lay where he had been 
thrown. He cried until he could cry no more. 

It grew darker and darker. It was night. 
Would no one come to him? Must he stay 
here and starve to death ? He had heard 
stories of such things. 

Suddenly there was a sound. He sat up 



26 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

and listened. It was a key turning in the 
rusty lock ! 

There was a flash of light, then a whisper : 
"Are you here, little boy ? Where are you ?" 

Robert sprang to his feet and gazed in won- 
der. He rubbed his eyes to see if he were 
awake. Surely this beautiful lady, all dressed 
in white, must be an angel ! 

"Hush," she whispered, laying her fingers 
on his lips. "Do not speak, but come with 
me. You need not be afraid. I will do you 
no harm. I will take you home to your 
mother." 

She hurried him up the narrow stairs, 
through a dark hall, and out into the open 
air. 

A little way down the road stood a beauti- 
ful white horse. This the lady mounted. 
She drew Robert up in front of her. Then 
away they rode. 

By and by the lady stopped. 

"You are near your home now," she said. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 27 

"I must hurry back. Run to your mother 
as fast as you can !" 

Putting Robert down from the horse, she 
turned and rode away, before the grateful 
child could speak a word. 

It was near morning, and across the field 
Robert could see his home among the trees. 
How he did run ! 

"Oh, mother/' he shouted, bursting in at 
the door, "I didn't tell ! I didn't tell !" 

"My brave boy ! My little hero !" sobbed 
the mother. 

"Was I a hero? I am so glad," mur- 
mured Robert. 

In another minute he was fast asleep, held 
close in his mother's arms. 




ROLAND AND THE JEWEL 



The King called all his knights before him. 

"Sir Knights/' said he, "I have been 
told of a wonderful jewel. It is the largest 
and most beautiful in the world. It belongs 
to the Robber Knight. He wears it in his 
shield. Now let all my knights ride forth 
and search for this jewel. To him who brings 
it to me I will give whatever he may ask." 

Sir Milon greatly longed to win the prize. 
He took his young son Roland as his page 
and set out to seek the Robber Knight. For 
many days he searched in the forest where 
the robber lived. But his search was vain. 

28 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 29 

One day, tired and discouraged, he took 
off his heavy armor and lay down under a 
tree to rest. 

Young Roland sat beside him for a time. 
Soon, seeing that his father was asleep, he 
looked about for something to do. 

By and by he arose. Softly he put on his 
father's armor. Then he sprang upon the war 
horse and rode into the forest. There whom 
should he meet but the Robber Knight ! He 
knew him at once by the wonderful jewel that 
glittered in the middle of his shield. 

Roland was too brave to run away, although 
the knight was much taller and stronger than 
he. 

So he said to himself, "I will fight him and 
get the jewel. Then perhaps the King will 
let me go to his castle and become a knight." 

With a shout, he drew his father's sword and 
rushed upon the foe. 

Fierce and terrible was the fight that fol- 
lowed. Though the knight was the stronger, 



30 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

the boy was the quicker. At length Roland 
killed the Robber Knight and tore the jewel 
from his shield. He hid it under his cloak and 
rode back to the tree where his father was 
sleeping. 

He put the armor where he had found it 
and tied the horse just as his father had done. 
Then he lay down to rest and wait for his 
father to awake. He thought it would be 
best not to tell of his fight with the robber, nor 
of the jewel hidden in his cloak. 

"I want to give it to the King myself/' he 
thought. 

By and by his father awoke and put on his 
armor. Mounting his horse, he once more 
began his search in the forest. Soon he came 
to the spot where the Robber Knight lay. 

"Some one has been before me/' exclaimed 
Sir Milon. "I had hoped to gain the prize/' 

Sadly he turned and rode back to the 
castle. 

On the day set, all the knights came before 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 31 

the King. They were followed by their pages 
carrying their shields. 

Each knight told of finding the body of 
the robber in the forest. Each told of the 
many signs of a terrible battle. 

Last of all came Sir Milon, looking sad and 
disappointed. He was closely followed by 
Roland, who held a shield before him. And 
lo ! there in the shield shone the beautiful, 
long-sought jewel ! 

At the sight the people set up a shout of 
joy. 

The King called out, "Sir Milon has won 
the prize ! Step forward, Sir Milon, and name 
the reward you wish. Whatever it is, it is 
granted to you !" 

"But I have not won it," cried the bewil- 
dered knight. "I, like the others, found only 
the dead body of the robber. His shield 
had been wrenched apart and the jewel was 
gone." 

Great was Sir Milon's surprise when he saw 



32 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

the jewel in his own shield, carried by his 
son. 

The knights all crowded around Roland. 
Then he told how he had met the robber and 
killed him. 

"The prize is for Roland," cried the King. 
"What will you have for your reward?" 

"My one desire," replied the boy, "is to 
live in the castle and become one of the King's 
knights. For they go everywhere with the 
King and fight always by his side." 

The King was greatly pleased with this 
answer. He gave orders at once that the boy 
should stay in the castle and be trained to be 
a knight. 

So Roland was taught the first duties of 
the true knight, — to reverence God and 
honor the King; to speak the truth at all 
times; to deal justly with both friend and 
foe ; to be courteous and obliging to his equals, 
and above all, to help the needy, to protect 
the weak, and to respect the ladies. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 33 

Roland became the bravest and most fa- 
mous of all the knights of the royal court. And 
every one praised and loved him, for he was 
indeed a knight without fear and without 
blame. 




THE DRUMMER BOY 



Davy was an orphan. When his father 
was killed by the Indians, the boy was but 
nine years old. He then went to live with the 
wife of a soldier who was very kind to him. 

Davy was small for his age, but he was so 
quick and so willing to please that he soon 
made friends with all the men in the settle- 
ment. 

There were very few white people living in 
that part of the country, but there were a 
great many Indians, who killed the white people 

34 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 35 

whenever they had a chance. It was a time 
of war with England, and the British hired 
the Indians to kill the settlers. 

Colonel Clark thought that if he could drive 
the British out, he could stop the terrible mur- 
der done by the Indians. So he set out to 
capture the British forts in that part of the 
country. He called for all the Americans 
living near to come to his aid. 

Davy's friends were among the first to join 
Colonel Clark, and Davy begged for leave to 
go. So they took him with them. 

Now the colonel wanted men able and will- 
ing to fight and to take long, hard, marches. 
He was angry when they brought little Davy 
before him. 

"This is no place for a child/' he said. 

"We brought him for a drummer boy/' said 
one of the men. 

"He's so little, he'll be no trouble," said 
another. "We shall have no luck without 
him, Colonel." 



36 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

"I'll carry him, if he gets tired on the 
march," said a third. 

Colonel Clark laughed. 

"Well, boys," he said, "if you must have 
him, you must. I have no orders about tak- 
ing a drummer boy into the army, but we'll 
take him." 

Then, laying his hand upon the little fel- 
low's shoulder, he said kindly, "You will have 
a hard time, Davy. You will need to be 
strong and brave." 

That night the men were resting around 
a big camp fire. Suddenly a man ran out 
of the woods, carrying something on his 
head that looked like a kettle. He was 
one of Davy's special friends and had been 
away from the camp since early in the after- 
noon. 

The kettle proved to be a drum on which 
the man began to beat with his hands for 
drumsticks. 

"It's for Davy," he cried, setting it down 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 37 

in front of the boy. "I've the King's own 
drum for you, Davy/' 

And sure enough, it had been taken from a 
British regiment and bore on its head the 
royal arms of England. 

They flung the string about Davy's neck. 
Drumsticks were quickly made, and the boy 
took his first lesson in drumming. 

The next day, when the little army drew 
up for parade, Davy was at the head of the 
line, prouder than any man in the ranks. 
From that day the little drummer boy was 
the pet and plaything of the whole army. 

The British heard that Clark had taken 
some of their forts, but they thought that they 
could easily get them back again. 

It was winter. The rivers had overflowed 
their banks, and it was hard to march from one 
place to another. So they decided to wait 
until spring. Then they thought it would 
be easy to take Clark and his men. 

But Clark would not wait to be taken. He 



38 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

thought that if he could manage to get to the 
largest British fort in winter, when he was 
not expected, he could capture it. 

At first the journey was easy enough. They 
passed across the snow-covered prairies and 
through great stretches of woods. They killed 
buffaloes and deer for food, so there was 
plenty to eat. At night they built huge fires 
and slept around them. 

In the middle of February they reached the 
lowlands. The ice in the rivers had just 
broken. All day long the men waded in icy 
water. At night they had to lie on wet snow 
and ice. They found very little wood for 
fires and had scarcely anything to eat. 

It was Colonel Clark and Davy who kept 
the men cheerful through all these hardships. 
The colonel taught Davy gay songs which the 
boy sang at night, when they lay around their 
camp fires. The soldiers would join in the 
chorus and, for a time, forget their troubles. 

Clark was afraid that the men would want to 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 39 

give up the journey. He knew that if they 
could hold out a little longer, they would be 
at the fort. 

At last the little army came to a river, wide, 
though shallow. It was covered with thin ice, 
and there was no way of getting over but by 
wading. At this, the worn-out, half-frozen 
men rebelled. Clark urged them in vain. 

" If we can get to those hills across the river, 
our troubles will be ended/' he said. 

But the men would go no farther. 

Then Clark thought of Davy. He might 
save the day. 

Calling the tallest man in the army to him, 
he said, "When I give the word, you take 
Davy, with his drum, on your shoulders and 
follow me. Davy, do you think you could 
give us that song you sang last night?" 

"Oh, yes, sir!" answered Davy, his teeth 
chattering with the cold. 

The colonel raised his sword high in the 
air, shouted an Indian war whoop, and plunged 



40 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

into the water. The tall soldier swung Davy 
to his shoulders and followed the colonel. 
Davy beat the charge with all his might, 
though his hands were so numb that he could 
scarcely hold the sticks. 

There was a shout, and the men went plung- 
ing after. 

"Now sing, Davy !" called the colonel. 

Davy sang at the top of his voice. It was 
a favorite song of the men. They joined in 
the chorus and forgot the cold and the hard- 
ships they were suffering. 

When the song was ended, they had reached 
the other side of the river and were at last on 
dry land. It was not long before they were 
in sight of the fort. 

Clark marched his little army around and 
around in such a way as to make it seem that 
he had many men with him. He wrote a 
commanding letter to the British and be- 
haved like a general with a large army. 

It was just as Clark had expected. His 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 41 

coming in midwinter was a great surprise 
to the British. They were having a party 
that night and were not prepared for fighting. 
They thought that a large, strong force was 
about to attack them and decided not to 
fight. So the American soldiers were soon 
making themselves comfortable in the fort. 

The next day Davy, with his drum, led a 
parade in the square of the captured fort. 
Then Colonel Clark publicly thanked the 
little drummer boy who had drummed the 
American army to victory. 



HOW A BOY SAVED A QUEEN 

Queen Mary was very beautiful, but she 
was very unhappy. Some of the people in 
her kingdom did not want her for their queen. 
So they put her in prison and chose her young 
son for their king. 

The Queen's prison was a castle which stood 
on a small island in the middle of a lake. It 
could be reached only by boat. 

Here Queen Mary was carefully watched. 
She was not allowed even to write to her 
friends or to receive any letters from them. 
Her keepers never let her see any one, except 
those who lived in the castle. Most of these 
people were unkind to her, so the poor Queen 
was very sad and lonely. 

In the castle was a boy called the Little 
Douglas, who acted as page. One of his 
duties was to wait upon Queen Mary. In 

42 




How a Boy saved a Queen (Page 42). 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 43 

clear weather the Queen would sit or walk in 
the garden. The Little Douglas was always 
with her. He would carry her cloak, arrange 
a comfortable seat for her, or do any other 
little service that she might desire. They 
were soon good friends, and the boy was sure 
that the Queen had been badly treated. He 
began to plan ways of helping her to escape 
from the castle and join her friends. 

One day the Little Douglas was sent on an 
errand to the village. While there he secretly 
visited some of the Queen's friends. He told 
them how anxious he was to help the Queen. 

It was arranged that on a certain night at 
twelve o'clock the page should row the Queen 
to the shore across* the lake. There the men 
would have horses ready to meet them and 
take them away. 

When the Little Douglas went back to the 
island, he carried a large bunch of keys hid- 
den under his cloak. 

At sunset each day all the doors and gates 



44 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

of the castle were locked, and at supper the 
keys were placed beside the plate of the gov- 
ernor. After that no one could get in or out 
of the castle without his permission. 

At supper on the night set for the Queen's 
escape, the Little Douglas watched his chance. 
While he held out his plate to be filled, he 
took the bunch of keys from the table and put 
his own in their place beside the governor's 
plate. He was careful, but he could not 
help a slight noise as he took up the bunch. 

The governor shouted, "Who touches the 
keys?" 

The boy trembled with fright. 

"I touched them with the sleeve of my 
cloak/' he answered. 

In great fear he watched the governor take 
up the false keys without looking at them and 
put them into his pocket. 

"I am indeed lucky," thought the boy. 

As soon as he could, he hurried away from 
the table and went to his own room. Here 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 45 

he carefully oiled the keys so that they would 
turn easily and silently in the locks. 

So far everything had gone well, but even 
now the governor might find out that he did 
not have the real keys. Suppose some one 
wanted to go out of the castle during the 
evening ! The boy knew that if he were found 
out, his punishment would be severe, and that 
the Queen would be watched more carefully 
than ever. He trembled at every sound, 
thinking some one was coming to him for the 
keys. But no one came. 

At midnight, when everything was very 
quiet in the castle, the boy crept softly to the 
Queen's rooms. 

"Now turn smoothly/' he murmured to 
the great key as he put it into the lock. 

As if they heard him, the bolts turned with- 
out a sound. 

He first placed a light in the window as a 
signal to their friends across the lake. Then 
the boy and the Queen stole out together. 



46 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

On tiptoe he led the anxious and frightened 
Queen down the winding stairs. Out through 
the garden they went to the side of the lake, 
where a boat had been hidden. The boy 
locked each door and gate after passing 
through, so that no one could get out of the 
castle to follow them. 

Then he helped the Queen into the boat. 
Quickly he jumped in after her, pushed off, and 
was soon rowing for the other shore, silently 
but strongly. 

When out in deep water, he threw the bunch 
of keys into the lake. 

"It will take a long time to find those/' 
he laughed softly. 

When the Queen stepped out of the boat, 
she found her friends waiting to receive her. 

Quickly they all mounted their horses and 
hastened away. Nor did they slacken their 
speed until they reached the strong castle of 
some of Queen Mary's friends, where she would 
be safe. 




AN AMERICAN ARMY OF TWO 



Once upon a time a child named Rebecca 
lived near a little town by the sea. Her 
father was a lighthouse keeper. He and his 
family lived in a tiny cottage near the light- 
house. 

One day Rebecca and her friend Sarah were 
sitting on the rocks, playing with their dolls. 
The lighthouse keeper and his wife had rowed 
across the bay to the village. The children 
were alone. 

Suddenly they saw a ship far away. They 

47 



48 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

watched it. It seemed to be coming toward 
the harbor. 

At that time the people feared every strange 
ship, for it was a time of war. British ships 
often sailed right into the harbors and sent 
their soldiers to the shore to attack the vil- 
lages. 

Rebecca and Sarah hurried to the tower of 
the lighthouse. 

Then, scarcely breathing, they watched 
the ship. Back and forth, back and forth, it 
sailed, each time a little nearer, till at last it 
was close to the harbor. 

"She is coming in here!" cried Rebecca. 
"See, she is going to anchor ! The boats are 
being lowered ! Oh, I wish father were here ! " 

The girls looked along the shore. No one 
was to be seen. What could they do? If 
they could only warn the people ! But they 
had no boat, and there would not be time to 
walk to the village, for it was a long walk 
around the bay. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 49 

"Oh, Sarah, what shall we do?" cried 
Rebecca. "Do you suppose we are the only 
ones who have seen the ship ?" 

"Perhaps the men are hiding until the 
British soldiers get close to shore," said Sarah. 
"Then we shall hear the shooting and the 
beating of the drum." 

"The drum is here," said Rebecca. 
"Father brought it here the other day to 
mend it. Let's get it and beat it. Perhaps 
the people in the village will hear it and come 
down to the shore. Then they will see the 
ship." 

"It may scare the British away," said 
Sarah. "Come, we'll try it. It will do no 
harm, at any rate: Til take the fife. I can 
play it." 

The two girls hurried down the winding 
staircase and out across the lawn to the house. 
There they got the drum and fife. Then they 
crept around behind the lighthouse and 
started for the point. They scrambled over 



50 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

the rocks and hid behind bushes, all the while 
beating the drum and playing the fife. 

The British soldiers were now in the small 
boats rowing silently toward the shore. 

Suddenly the order was given to halt ! 
They listened. Surely that was a drum ! 

"What does it mean?" asked an officer. 

"Troops, troops," cried the others. "The 
people have seen us coming. They are get- 
ting ready to attack us when we land. They 
are marching down to that point." 

They listened and watched. Nothing could 
be seen, but there was no doubt that the drum 
and fife were drawing nearer and nearer. 

"They are going to cut us off from the 
ship," said the soldiers. "We cannot land 
here!" 

"Row back to the ship," ordered the cap- 
tain. "The people must have been warned." 

So up over the sides of the vessel climbed the 
frightened soldiers. 

Soon the ship had turned about and was 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 51 

sailing out of the harbor. By the time the 
little band had reached the end of the point, 
the great vessel was speeding away. Re- 
becca and Sarah stood watching it, scarcely 
believing their eyes. 

The people in the village were as much sur- 
prised as the British soldiers had been, when 
they heard the drum and fife. 

"What can it be ?" they asked one another. 

" It must be troops from Boston/' said some. 
"It cannot be the British, for they would 
come quietly/' 

So they all rushed down to the point to see 
the Boston troops land. 

The drum and fife were silent now. When 
the people reached* the point they found two 
little girls sitting on the rocks watching a ship 
far away on the sea. A drum and fife were 
beside them. 

"Do you think that we really scared them 
away ?" asked the girls, when their story had 
been told. 



52 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

"There is no doubt of it," said the 
people. 

And after that day, the two girls were called 
by the village people the "American Army 
of Two." 



THE SWORD OF KING ARTHUR 

In the days when Uther-Pendragon * was 
King of England, there was born to him a son, 
who was a beautiful child of great size and 
strength. They named the boy Arthur. 

When he was but a baby, Arthur was taken 
away from the palace one night and given to 
the good knight Sir Ector to bring up with 
his son Kay. There he grew up, never know- 
ing that he was a king's son. 

At length the King died, and there was no 
one -to rule his kingdom. All the realm fell 
in great disorder. For years there were 
quarrels among the noblemen, because each 
wanted to be King. They strengthened their 
castles and made war upon one another, until 
the whole kingdom was in confusion. 

At last on Christmas Day, the Archbishop 
called together the noblemen of the realm. 

* U'-ther-Pen-drag'-on. 
53 




King Arthur. 
54 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 55 

They hastened to obey the Archbishop's com- 
mands, and came riding into the city from 
all sides. They met in one of the largest 
churches in London and prayed to God to 
show them by some sign who should be their 
rightful king. 

When they came out from the church, they 
saw a strange sight. 

There in the open space before the church 
stood a great stone. On the stone was an 
anvil and in the anvil was a sword. And this 
sword was the most wonderful that any man 
had ever seen. The blade was of blue steel, 
and very bright and glittering. The hilt was 
of gold, chased and carved and inlaid with 
a great number of precious stones, so that it 
shone with wonderful brightness in the sun- 
shine. 

These words were written on the anvil in 
letters of gold: "Whoever shall pull this 
sword out of the anvil shall be King of Eng- 
land." . 



56 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

All the noblemen were in great excitement. 
They gazed upon the sword and marveled at 
it, for its like had never before been seen upon 
the earth. Each man asked the other : "Who 
shall draw forth that sword ?" 

At once there were quarrels, each wanting 
to be the first to try his fortune. 

Then the Archbishop said that they should 
make the attempt in turn, from the greatest 
in rank to the lowest. 

Each in turn, having put forth all his 
strength, failed to move the sword one inch, 
and then drew back, ashamed. 

So the Archbishop said : " He is not here 
who shall draw out the sword, but God will 
bring him in due time. Let us set ten knights 
to watch this sword day and night.' ' 

Then messengers were sent through all the 
country to give word of a great tournament* to 
be held in London on New Year's Day. Each 
knight could thus prove his skill and strength 

* Tournament, tur'-na-ment. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 57 

and could try to draw the wonderful sword 
from the anvil. 

For several days before New Year's Day 
it seemed as though the whole world was mak- 
ing its way to London. The roads were 
crowded with knights and ladies, esquires 
and pages. All were anxious to see the won- 
derful sword, and some were bound to make 
the trial. Every inn and castle was filled, and 
everywhere were tents pitched along the 
roadsides for those who could not find shelter 
elsewhere. 

In the crowd that came to the tournament 
was Sir Ector, surnamed the Trustworthy 
Knight because he always did for all men that 
which he promised to do. With him was his 
son, Sir Kay, and by his side merrily rode 
young Arthur, for this was to be his first 
tournament. 

Before they reached the field, Sir Kay looked 
and saw that he had left his sword behind. 

He turned to Arthur and said, "I pray 



58 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

you, fetch me a sword. I have left mine at 
home/' 

" Til get it, gladly/' replied Arthur, and rode 
back quickly. 

But he found no one at home, and the house 
was closed, for all had gone to see the tourna- 
ment. The boy was vexed. He did not 
want Sir Kay to lose his chance of gaining 
glory. 

Suddenly he thought of the sword he had 
seen in the churchyard. 

"I will take that," he thought. "Sir Kay 
must not be without a weapon, and I can take 
it back later." 

Knowing nothing of the story of the won- 
derful sword, he rode to the church. The 
ten knights who should have been watching 
the sword had gone to the tournament, so 
there was no one to stop the boy. He leaped 
from his horse and instantly drew forth the 
sword. Then he jumped on his horse again 
and rode back to Sir Kay. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 59 

Sir Kay looked at the sword in amazement 
and cried : "Boy, how did you get this?" 

" I could not get into the house to find your 
sword," replied Arthur. "So I went to the 
churchyard and took this one. It was in a 
great stone in front of the church." 

Thinking of the good fortune that awaited 
the owner of this magic weapon, Sir Kay joy- 
fully ran to his father. 

"See, Father," he cried, "this is the sword 
of the anvil. I am to be King of England." 

As soon as Sir Ector saw the sword he ex- 
claimed : " How came you by that ? " ' 

"Arthur brought it to me to use in the 
tournament," said his son. 

" And how came you by it ? " he asked Arthur. 

Arthur again told of his adventure. 

Even this did not satisfy Sir Ector. 

"If you did indeed draw it forth from the 
anvil, then it will be that you can easily put 
it back again into the place from whence you 
got it," he said. 






60 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

He wrapped the sword in his cloak, and they 
rode to the church, and Arthur put the sword 
back in the anvil. 

Sir Kay eagerly stepped up and grasped 
the hilt of the sword. He pulled and pulled, 
but the sword did not move. 

Then Sir Ector pulled with all his might, 
but there it stood, firm in the rock. 

"Now you try," they said to Arthur. 

Arthur took the sword by the hilt and easily 
pulled it out of the anvil. 

Then Sir Ector knelt before Arthur and 
said, " Sir, I see you are to be my King. I pray 
you, when you come into your kingdom, be 
kind to me and mine." 

When Arthur had promised, they went to 
the Archbishop and told him what had hap- 
pened. 

The crowds at the tournament soon heard 
the wonderful news and came hurrying to the 
church. 

They told Arthur that he must put back 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 61 

the sword and draw it forth again before them 
all. This he did with ease. 

But the people cried out : "What a boy can 
do, a man can do !" 

Each in turn tried to draw out the sword, 
but could not. So they put the matter off for 
ten days, thinking that by that time one of 
the noblemen would be successful. 

At the end of ten days they again met, and 
again the noblemen were disappointed, for no 
one except Arthur could move the sword. 

They said: "We will wait until Easter 
time/' 

Easter came. Again crowds flocked into 
London. 

A platform had been built about the stone. 
Over it was a canopy of embroidered cloth of 
many colors. Near the place a throne had 
been built for the Archbishop. Around the 
throne were knights and esquires, waiting for 
their turn to make trial of the sword. 

As had happened on the other days, neither 



62 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

knights nor esquires were able to draw out the 
sword. 

Then the Archbishop cried, "Let the boy 
Arthur make trial." 

Arthur stepped upon the platform. He was 
dressed in crimson satin, embroidered with 
threads of silver. 

The people said: "That youth is fair to 
look upon. Surely he is of noble birth." 

Arthur took hold of the sword and lightly 
pulled it out of the anvil. 

Then the people cried, "Arthur is King! 
We will have no King but Arthur !" 

They went into the church, and Arthur took 
the sword and laid it on the altar. He was 
then made a knight by the oldest knight there. 

This done, the Archbishop placed the crown 
upon his head, and Arthur promised to be a 
true king, and to be just and upright, as a 
king should be, all the days of his life. 

Thus Arthur was made King, and to all he 
was just ; quick to right wrongs, and to give 
to all what was their due. 




DAVID, THE BRAVE SHEPHERD BOY 



King Saul was very rich, yet he was not 
happy. Sometimes he was so ill and unhappy 
that he was cruel even to his best friends. 
On some days he was so wild that nobody 
dared to go near him. 

On those days music was the only thing that 
would soothe him. At the sound of the harp 
he would become quiet and gentle. 

So the best musicians in the kingdom were 
ordered to bring their harps and play before 
the King. 

63 



64 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

After a time King Saul grew tired of these 
players and drove them all away from the 
palace. 

"Bring me some one who can play well," 
he commanded. "Those men did not make 
music. They made only a loud noise. I want 
good music." 

One of the noblemen said : " There is a shep- 
herd boy in the South Valley, tending his fa- 
ther's sheep, who plays on the harp wonder- 
fully. It is said that even the beasts will 
listen to his music." 

"Send for him to come to the palace," said 
the King. 

Messengers were sent down to the little 
village of Bethlehem for the shepherd boy who 
made such wonderful music with his harp. 
So David went to the palace of Saul, the King. 

The King was much pleased when he saw 
the lad, for David was a handsome boy, tall 
and ruddy, and as straight as an arrow. 

"Now play to me," said the King. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 65 

David took up his harp and played. 

The King was cheered and soothed. He be- 
came so gentle and mild that all the people in 
the palace rejoiced. 

David stayed at the palace and was the 
King's page. Every day he would play his 
sweet music to make the King happy. He was 
soon a favorite with all who knew him. 

After a time a great war broke out. The 
King left his palace and rode forth at the head 
of his army to fight his enemies. 

There was now no need of a page at the 
palace. So David took his harp on his shoul- 
der and went back to his father's house. His 
three older brothers had joined Saul's army. 
David again went to the fields to help take 
care of the sheep.* 

The King led his army out to meet the 
enemy. The two armies pitched their tents, 
each on a mountain, Saul's on one side of the 
valley, the Philistines' on the other side. 
Each waited for the other to begin the fight. 



66 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Each was afraid of the other. They sent 
messages from one army to the other, making 
great boasts, but they did nothing more than 
that. 

Now among the Philistines was a huge 
giant, named Goliath. He was more than ten 
feet tall. He wore a heavy armor of brass 
which weighed almost three hundred pounds. 
His staff was made of iron, with a long, sharp 
point at one end. It was so heavy that it 
took three strong men to lift it. 

This giant went down into the valley half 
way between the two armies. 

"What are you doing up there, you cow- 
ards ?" he shouted. "Let one of your men 
come down and fight me. If he can kill me, 
then all my people shall become your slaves. 
But if I kill him, then you shall be our slaves 
and shall serve us." 

When King Saul and his army heard this 
they were afraid, for they had no one among 
them as strong as Goliath. None dared to go 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 67 

down into the valley and meet the giant. So 
the two armies lay in camp, and no fighting 
was done. 

Word came to Bethlehem that the army 
had not enough to eat. 

David's father sent for the lad to leave his 
sheep in the fields with the men and to come 
home. 

"I hear that the King's army is in want," 
he said. "You may go up to the camp and 
take this corn and these loaves of bread to 
your brothers. Take these cheeses, too, and 
give them to the captain. Find out if all is 
well at the camp, then come back to me." 

David got up very early the next morning 
and started for the camp, taking with him a 
cart full of food. When he came to the camp, 
he found the two armies waiting to fight, just 
as they had been for many days. He left 
the cart of food with the driver and hurried 
to his brothers. 

As he stood talking with them, the giant 



68 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Goliath came down into the valley and shouted 
as he had done each day. The King's men 
ran back, afraid. 

"Why does no one go down and kill the 
man?" asked David. 

"We have no giant in our army," replied 
his brothers. "No one could go out alone 
to fight such a man as he is. See how big 
he is ! The King has offered great riches to 
the man who will fight him. But no one 
dares !" 

" I think I could kill him," said David. 

This made the brothers angry. 

" Go back and take care of your sheep," they 
said. "You know nothing about fighting, 
and this is no place for a boy." 

But some of the soldiers heard what David 
said, and they ran to the King. 

"The young shepherd boy who plays on 
the harp is here," they said. "He says that 
he could kill the giant. Would it not be well 
to let him try?" 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 69 

The King sent word for David to come to 
him at once. 

When David stood before the King, he 
looked so young and slight that the King said : 

" You are not able to fight against this giant. 
You are but a boy, while this man has been 
trained to fight since his youth. You had 
much better return to your father/' 

Then David said: "Oh, King, I am very 
strong. Only the other day while I was tend- 
ing my father's sheep, a bear came out of the 
woods and carried off one of the lambs from 
the flock. I ran after him, snatched the 
lamb from his mouth, and killed the bear." 

"That was a brave thing to do," said the 
King, "but this giant is well armed and is 
stronger than a bear." 

"I have killed a lion, too," said David. 
"He came down from the mountain and car- 
ried off one of the lambs. I was no more 
afraid of him than I was of the bear. I caught 
hold of him by the jaws and killed him. God 



70 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

has made me strong. Let me use my strength 
to aid my King/' 

Then Saul called to his men to arm David 
and make him ready to fight the giant. The 
King's son brought his own armor for the 
boy. A helmet of brass was put upon his 
head, and a bright new sword was given to 
him. But these were so heavy that the boy 
could scarcely move in them. 

"I cannot fight in these/' he said. "Let 
me make ready in my own way." 

He took off the helmet and the armor and 
threw aside the sword. Then he went to the 
brook and chose five smooth, round stones. 
These he put into his shepherd's bag, which 
he carried at his side. Then he took up his 
staff and his sling and went down into the 
valley to meet the giant. 

When Goliath saw the boy coming toward 
him with only the shepherd's staff, he laughed. 

"Am I a dog," he cried, "that you come 
against me armed with a stick? Come on, 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 71 

little fellow, and I will give your flesh to the 
beasts of the field and the fowls of the air." 

"You are strong/' said David, "and you 
come in armor and with a sword, but I come 
to you in the name of our God. This day I 
will kill you and take your head to the King. 
All the world shall know that our God is the 
true God." 

Then the giant was very angry and, raising 
his spear, he rushed toward David. 

David put his hand into his bag and took 
out one of the smooth, round stones he had 
taken from the brook. He put the stone 
into his sling. 

As the giant raised his spear to throw it, 
David sent the stone whizzing through the 
air. It struck the giant in the forehead so 
hard that it sank deep into his head. Then 
Goliath fell upon his face on the ground. 

David ran to him and, drawing out the 
giant's own big sword, cut off his head. 

When the army of the Philistines saw that 



72 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Goliath was dead, they fled down the other 
side of the mountain. The King's men ran 
after them and did not stop until they had 
driven them out of the country. 

The King took David to his palace and 
made him a prince. 

When David grew to be a man, he married 
the King's daughter, and when the King and 
his son were both killed in battle, the people 
chose David for their King. 



A BRAVE INDIAN GIRL 

Pocahontas was a very beautiful child, 
and was so good and sweet that she was loved 
by all the tribe over which her father ruled. 
Her home was in Virginia, and a very happy 
life she led there in the sunny woods, with the 
birds and squirrels for her playmates. 

Pocahontas grew up in this pleasant home 
and learned to embroider her dresses with 
tiny shells, to weave mats and baskets, to 
cook in clay bowls, and to do all those things 
that Indian girls were taught to do. 

In those days there were great woods every- 
where and many wild beasts and many In- 
dians. There were no white people, no 
cities, and no farms. 

One day when Pocahontas was about twelve 
years old, some white men came up the river 
and began to build a little town. They came 

73 




A Brave Indian Girl. 
74 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 75 

in a great ship that was larger than any canoe 
the Indians had ever seen. 

Everything these white people did was so 
strange and wonderful that the Indians stood 
afar off and watched them and were very 
much afraid of them. 

King Powhatan and his people had always 
lived in the forest. They spent their time in 
hunting and fishing. They had never heard 
of any other way of living, so they thought 
the white men very strange indeed. 

One day Powhatan went to these English 
people and asked them where they came from 
and what they were doing in his country. 

The men answered: "We came from Eng- 
land, which is far across the ocean. This 
country belongs to our King, who lives in 
England." 

"That cannot be," said Powhatan. "My 
people have always lived in this country, so it 
must belong to us. But you are welcome to 
part of our land. There is enough for us all." 



76 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

The Indians began to make friends with 
the white people. They would sell them corn 
for a few colored beads and would give them 
wild turkeys that they had killed in the woods. 

King Powhatan himself often visited the 
little English town. Sometimes he would 
take his daughter Pocahontas with him. The 
men were kind to the little girl, and gave her 
presents to take home with her. 

But after a time the Indians began to be 
afraid that the white people would take all 
their land from them and drive them away. 
They were not friendly any more. They 
killed the English when they could, or took 
them prisoners and were cruel to them. 

Little Pocahontas was always a good friend 
to the white people. When they were in dan- 
ger of starving, she secretly carried them food. 
When a messenger was sent from the town to 
Captain John Smith, who was in the forest, 
she hid the man from the Indians. Then 
she led him to Smith, although she knew that 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 77 

her father had planned to kill him. Smith 
wanted to give her a reward, but she would 
not take anything. 

When Powhatan wanted to make war upon 
the white people, she said: "They are my 
friends. Do not fight them." 

One day some Indians took Captain Smith 
prisoner. Instead of appearing frightened, 
he began to amuse the chief by showing him 
his pocket compass and explained to him how 
to use it. The Indians did not dare to kill a 
man who had such a wonderful thing. They 
thought he might bring some evil upon them. 
So they tied Smith's hands behind his back 
and led him from one Indian village to an- 
other. They made him show all the won- 
derful things he could do. 

At last they decided to take their prisoner 
to King Powhatan and let him decide for 
them what should be done to Smith. 

Captain Smith was led into a large room 
made of green boughs of trees. 



78 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

King Powhatan sat on a mat at one end of 
the room. He was dressed in the skins of 
beasts and wore long feathers on his head. 

Nearly two hundred Indians were seated 
on the ground around the room. They all 
wanted to see Smith killed. They shouted 
and made a great noise when he was led in. 

After much talking and shouting among 
the chiefs, it was decided that Smith should 
die. 

They said: "He is too wise and too dan- 
gerous. The sooner he is killed, the safer it 
will be for us." 

When his hands and feet had been bound, 
Smith was stretched on the ground with his 
head upon a great stone. Two tall Indians 
with big clubs in their hands came forward. 
They lifted their clubs. Another moment, 
and they would strike. 

Just then, in rushed Pocahontas. She ran 
across the room and threw herself at her 
father's feet. She begged him not to kill the 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 79 

white man who had been so kind to her and 
had given her so many presents. But Pow- 
hatan only told her to go away. 

Then the girl threw herself down and put 
her arms around Smith. She laid her own 
head upon his. 

"You must kill me first, if you kill him," 
she cried. 

The Indians with the clubs could not strike, 
for they did not dare to hurt the daughter of 
their chief . 

It was not uncommon among the Indians 
for one of the tribe to rescue a prisoner and 
claim him as his own. Powhatan was per- 
haps a little amused to see the child claiming 
the rights of a grown person, and then, too, 
he was half afraid to put the man to death. 
It may be that he was glad to find a way to 
avoid it. He told the men to lay down their 
clubs. 

The cords were taken from Smith's arms and 
legs, and he was treated with great kindness. 



80 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Powhatan said : "You are one of us now, and 
you may go to your white friends whenever 
you wish." 

The next day he was given many presents 
and sent to his own people. 

For several years Captain Smith was away 
from the settlement and did not see or hear 
anything of his little Indian friend. 

One day he was in London, and there he 
heard that a beautiful American princess was 
visiting England. She was called Lady Re- 
bekah. He was very curious to know who 
she was, so a friend took him to see her. 

Imagine his surprise when he found that 
this beautiful princess was his little Indian 
friend Pocahontas, now grown to be a tall 
woman and married to an Englishman. 




* Mr- ".,;> AT THE FORD OF THE 



vrf 



TRIBUTE 



One bright summer morning, many, many 
years ago, a young Irish lad rode along the 
river Shannon. 

He was a small but manly looking boy, 
with thick curly hair and clear blue eyes. 
His kilt was richly embroidered and fringed 
with gold. His .coat was trimmed with 
silver and was open at the throat, show- 
ing a collar of gold about his neck. A long 
plaid shawl hung from his left shoulder 
and was fastened with a gold clasp. From 
his saddle hung his bronze shield and his 
short battle-ax. 

G - 81 



82 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

The youth was followed by a number of 
warlike men. 

As they drew near the Ford of the Tribute, 
the young horseman turned and told his her- 
ald to sound his trumpet to announce the re- 
turn of Brian, son of King Kennedy of Tho- 
mond. 

Loud and clear the herald's call rose above 
the rush of the rapids. 

As Brian crossed the ford, the gates of the 
palace were flung open, and a company of sol- 
diers and boys rode out to greet the young 
prince. 

Brian had passed his early boyhood in 
training at another court. He had been 
brought up among warlike scenes, where 
battles with the Danes were of frequent oc- 
currence. 

He had learned to fight — to fight at all 
odds, never to be turned back by defeat, 
never to acknowledge himself beaten. He 
had now completed the years of his train- 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 83 

ing and was a lad of great courage, and a 
firm foe to Ireland's greatest enemy, the 
Danes. 

A feast of welcome was given to the young 
prince in the great hall of the palace. The 
jester played his pranks and the juggler his 
tricks. But the one thing they all enjoyed 
most was the harper who sang to them the 
ballads of their people. 

In the midst of the feast, when the great 
hall echoed with their shouts and laughter, 
suddenly there was heard the sound of a gal- 
loping horse. In a moment every voice was 
hushed, and men sprang to their feet and 
grasped their swords. 

The messenger made his way into the 
crowded hall and cried : " King, the Danes 
are upon us ! Their ships are in the bay, and 
they are coming toward Thomond !" 

The feasters had good reason for their 
alarm, for the fierce Danes would sweep like 
a whirlwind through the land, burning the 



84 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

homes of the people and carrying away the 
women and children. 

"Thou hast come in right good time, my 
son/' said King Kennedy. "Here is need of 
strong arms and stout hearts. What say you, 
noble lords ? Dare we face so great a force ? " 

As the noblemen were discussing what was 
best to do, young Brian sprang up, battle- 
ax in hand. 

"What," he cried, "will ye stop to question 
what to do ! Death is better than a life of 
shame. Shall we be slaves to the Danes? 
Call out our men to war ! Place me, King, 
my father, here at the Ford of the Tribute, 
and bid me make test of my training. Have 
ye forgotten how a boy once held the ford 
for five days against a great army? What 
boy hath done, boy may do." 

The boy's brave words gave courage to all 
in the room. 

"Call out our men," cried the King. "We 
will march to meet the Danes." 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 85 

Horsemen were sent in haste to warn the 
near-by towns and to summon men to battle. 

"The enemy are upon us. Let every man 
leave his home and come !" was the cry that 
went from town to town. 

Great fires were kindled on the hilltops 
that the people might see them and prepare 
as best they could to defend themselves. 

Soon from north and south and east and 
west came the men of Thomond, rallying 
around their King. 

Brian and a small band of soldiers were left 
to defend the palace, while the King and a 
large army marched toward the coast to meet 
the invaders. 

Many terrible battles were fought, in which 
the King and two of his sons were killed. 

But at the Ford of the Tribute, Brian kept 
his position and drove back the Danes again 
and again as they came up the Shannon to 
attack the palace. 

In the very midst of the stubborn fight, a 



86 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

light canoe came over the rapids. In the 
bow stood a figure all in white. It was Eimer, 
the golden-haired sister of Brian, bringing new 
weapons in her canoe to Brian and his fight- 
ing men. But as the sun flashed full upon 
the shining battle-ax that she held before her, 
the Danes saw in the floating figure the fairy 
guardian of the Irish. 

They stood spellbound, gazing at the fair- 
haired girl as she floated nearer and nearer. 
In vain their leader urged them to fight. 

"It is useless to fight against magic/' they 
cried, as they turned and fled. 

So Brian and his sister Eimer won the vic- 
tory at the Ford of the Tribute, and from 
that day the Irish gained victory after victory 
over the Danes and finally drove them out of 
the country. 

Upon the death of his older brother, Brian 
was chosen King of Thomond and later was 
made King of all Ireland. 



BETTY ZANE 

Fort Henry stood on a bluff above a wide 
river. From it one could see the country for 
many miles. 

The fort was a hollow square with a fence 
around it, about twelve feet high. It was 
made of stout posts planted firmly in the 
ground, side by side, and sharpened at the 
top. Within this square was what is called 
a blockhouse. The thick walls had many 
portholes for the men to shoot through. 

Besides the blockhouse, there were a num- 
ber of cabins within the square. These were 
used as homes for the settlers in time of trouble 
with the Indians. 

Many men of the fort had already been 
killed. Only about twelve were left to pro- 
tect the women and children. 

87 




Betty Zane. 
88 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 89 

Suddenly one day a band of five hundred 
savages and British soldiers attacked the fort. 
The men in the fort, though few in number, 
were good shots, and many an Indian fell dead 
under their sure aim. 

In the midst of the battle it was whispered 
that the powder was giving out. The people 
were in despair. To surrender meant death 
to every man, woman, and child in the fort. 
With only a few charges for their rifles and 
none for the cannon, how could they hope to 
hold out against the savages ? 

There was plenty of powder in the Zane 
cabin not sixty yards away. But that was 
outside the fort. How could they get it ? 

"If we had only one keg, we could hold 
out until relief comes/' groaned the captain. 

"I will go to the cabin and get it," cried a 
young man. 

"You know it may mean death," said the 
captain. 

"I know," replied the youth, "but we must 



90 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

have the powder. One of us must go for it. 
It may as well be I." 

"But not one man can be spared/' said 
Betty Zane. "I will go!" 

"You shall not !" cried the men. 

"Let me go, let me go," pleaded Betty. 
"It is the only chance. Let me take it. I 
would rather die that way than wait here for 
death." 

"It isn't a bad plan," said the captain. 
"Betty can run like a deer, and as she is a girl 
they may let her get to the cabin without 
shooting. Let her go. If she gets back, she 
will save the fort. If she fails, she will at least 
be spared capture by the Indians. God bless 
you and keep you, Betty." 

The captain drew the iron bar from before 
the gate, but held Betty back for one more 
word. 

"When I let you out," he said, "run, but 
not too fast. Empty a keg of powder into 
this tablecloth. Throw it over your shoulder 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 91 

and start back. Keep on running, if you do 
get hit. Now go !" 

The huge gate creaked and swung open. 

Betty ran out, looking neither to the right 
nor to the left. She had gone half the dis- 
tance to the cabin before the Indians saw 
her. Not one shot did they fire. They 
did not seem to understand what it meant. 

Betty obeyed the captain's orders. She 
ran easily and not too fast, and soon she 
bounded up the steps of the cabin and into 
the arms of her brother. He and two others 
had stayed in the cabin, and were fighting 
from there. 

"Betty! What does this mean?" he 
cried. 

"We are out of powder," she answered. 
"Empty a keg into this tablecloth. There 
is not a minute to lose." 

With one blow of an ax, Zane smashed in 
the top of a keg of powder. Then he poured 
the precious stuff into the cloth. The corners 



92 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

were caught up and tied, and the bag of pow- 
der was thrown over Betty's shoulders. 

"Brave girl," said Colonel Zane, holding 
open the door. "You can do it ! I know 
you can do it. Now run as you never ran in 
all your life !" 

Even then the Indians did not seem to un- 
derstand what had happened. 

On, on, Betty flew toward the fort. Not 
until she had nearly reached the gate, did the 
meaning of it dawn upon the savages. 

Suddenly a shout went up. 

" The girl has powder ! Don't let her reach 
the gate !" 

Then the bullets rained about her. They 
hissed close to her ears and cut the grass in 
front of her. But, still unharmed, the brave 
girl sped toward the fort. 

She saw the big gate swing open. She saw 
the tall form of the captain. Another second 
and she stumbled ; she felt herself caught by 
eager arms ; she heard the gate slam, and the 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 93 

iron bar shoot into place; then she felt and 
heard no more. She had fainted. 

A mighty cheer went up in the fort. The 
settlers, inspired by the heroism of a girl, 
fought as they had never fought before. 
Slowly the Indians gave way before the fire. 

All at once the long, strange call of an In- 
dian scout rang out. He had been sent to 
watch for the coming of a relief party. This 
call was a signal for retreat. Scarcely had 
it ceased, when the Indians moved rapidly 
away across the river. 

Soon soldiers on horseback were seen gal- 
loping toward the fort. Relief had come ! 
The fort was saved ! And a girl had saved 
it! 







L.W.M, 



THE YOUNG HANNIBAL 



A golden chariot, drawn by four snow- 
white horses and surrounded by a gorgeous 
escort in golden armor, came dashing through 
the streets of Carthage. 

In the glittering chariot stood President 
Hamilcar, who had returned as conqueror from 
a great war. He was a tall and noble-looking 
man. His splendid tunic of violet silk glit- 
tered with gold embroidery; his boots were 
of gilded leather ; a collar of jewels was about 
his neck ; large pearl pendants hung from his 
ears ; a golden helmet covered his head ; and 

94 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 95 

his short bronze battle sword hung at his 
side. 

With him in the chariot stood his dearly 
loved son, little ten-year-old Hannibal. 

The boy held the ends of the reins that 
hung from the driver's hands. He was very 
proud and happy as the great city rang with 
shouts of praise for his father. 

Suddenly some one from among the excited 
crowd threw a wreath of olive leaves over the 
boy's head. 

All the people clapped their hands and 
shouted : "Hanna-Baal ! Hanna-Baal !" 

Now Baal was the great sun god of that 
country. Hanna-Baal meant the favorite of 
this most powerful god Baal. What wonder 
then that little Hannibal felt very proud and 
happy, as he received all this attention from 
the shouting crowd. 

The palace of President Hamilcar was a 
splendid one and was richly furnished. 

It was now the perfect season of the year. 



96 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

The pomegranate trees in the wonderful gar- 
dens were brilliant with crimson flowers. 
Roses and fig trees, cypresses and sycamores 
gave varied colors to the gorgeous scene. 

While young Hannibal rode proudly at his 
father's side, a little slave girl, called Gyptis, 
played in the garden of the palace. Her fair 
face and golden hair, and her gentle, sweet 
manners had made her a pet among the people. 
She was treated with greater kindness than 
most of the slaves about the palace. 

Little Gyptis became tired of her play and 
wandered into the private gardens of young 
Hannibal. There she saw a small tiger cub, 
which the boy had been training. She un- 
chained it and was playing with it in the shade 
of the thick cypress. 

Suddenly a long trumpet call rang out on 
the air. The gate was flung open, and into 
the garden dashed the golden chariot of the 
president. 

Little Hannibal sprang lightly to the ground. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 97 

There was no time for Gyptis to put back 
the pet tiger, so she tried to hide it behind her, 
hoping that Hannibal would not see it. But 
in vain. The boy ran toward the little slave 
with an angry word and raised his hand to 
strike her. But the voice of his father checked 
him. 

"Stop, my son," said the president. "He 
who is the favorite of the great god Baal 
should not lift his hand against a slave. Only 
a coward would strike the helpless." 

The boy understood his father's meaning, 
and with a flushed face he lowered his hand. 
Instead of striking the girl, he took the chain 
of flowers she had woven and threw it around 
the tiger's neck. Then together the boy and 
girl raced gayly away with the tiger cub be- 
tween them. 

The playful ways of the tame tiger were 
much like those of a dog or cat, and the three 
friends were soon having a glorious romp. 

As they rolled in a heap together under a 



98 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

great cork tree, there came a rush of wings and 
a mighty vulture swooped down upon them. 
It twined its strong talons in the veil-like 
tunic of the slave girl. 

The tiger, surprised and startled, ran away ; 
the girl screamed in terror ; but young Han- 
nibal tore off his short purple mantle and 
threw it over the bird's white head. Then 
he flung his arms about its body and tried to 
tear it away from the struggling girl. 

The vulture, blinded and attacked, beat 
about with its wings and tried to release its 
head. But, though bruised by the vulture's 
wings, young Hannibal held his ground. 

At length poor Gyptis was freed from the 
vulture's talons. Then the boy seized the 
great bird more firmly in his clutch and pressed 
it against his chest so tight that he strangled 
the vulture to death in his strong grasp. Then 
both fell to the ground. 

There was a cry of delight from the avenue 
of the palm trees. President Hamilcar came 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 99 

under the cork tree's shade. He caught the 
boy in his arms. 

"He who can stay his hand from striking 
a helpless slave," he said, "and yet can crush 
the vulture in his strong young arms ; he who 
can hold the tiger in leash and guide his 
father's war steeds, while yet a boy like you, 
is one whom the republic may hope either to 
exalt to honor or to mourn gloriously." 




KING ALFRED 






The palace in which 
King Alfred the Great 
was born was hardly what we should call a 
palace in these days. It was a long, low, 
wooden house that looked like a group of 
little houses joined together. Whenever more 
room was needed, a new building was put up 
and joined to the old ones wherever it seemed 
most convenient. There had to be room for 
a large family, for many of the King's advisers 
and noblemen lived with him. 

100 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 101 

All around the palace were many smaller 
houses for the fighting and working men. It 
was like a little village, for almost everything 
that was needed had to be made on the place. 
Besides the farmers, millers, weavers, and 
shoemakers, there were blacksmiths, who not 
only made the simple tools needed on the 
farm, but who must be skillful enough to 
make and repair the metal network of the 
coats of mail, and to keep the soldiers well 
supplied with spears, swords, and battle- 
axes. 

Alfred was the youngest child of King Ethel- 
wolf. Every one loved the young prince, and 
every one was eager to do something for him. 
People never came near the palace without 
bringing him nuts, grapes, or apples. When 
he was only five years old, the blacksmith had 
made him a tiny coat of mail, a sword, and 
a spear, and he and the other children would 
play at war. The soldiers were all very proud 
of him. 



102 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Although he had reached the age of twelve 
before he learned to read, he was delighted 
with the songs and poems his mother used to 
read to him. In those days few people could 
read, and hardly any one could write. The 
greatest men in the land could not write their 
names, but made a cross upon papers which 
they wished to sign. 

But Alfred was a bright and thoughtful 
boy. He looked with delight and longing at 
the books from which his mother read. The 
poems were ballads and tales of heroes and 
the adventures of wanderers of all kinds. 

One day his mother was showing the boys 
a book of beautiful colored pictures and splen- 
did print. 

"I will give it to the one among you who 
first learns to read it," she said. 

"Will you ?" eagerly asked Alfred, although 
the youngest. 

"Yes," said she, with a smile of pleasure. 

The boy quickly took the book from her 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 103 

hands and ran to a priest. In a few days he 
brought back the book and read it aloud. 
So he won the precious book for his own. 

Although Alfred knew little of books, he 
had learned how to hunt, how to catch birds 
in snares, and how to lie flat on the bottom of 
his boat, hidden under branches of trees, till 
he was near enough to the wild birds to shoot 
them with his bow and arrow. He had learned 
to wrestle and run and leap, and to use spear 
and shield and sword and battle-ax. 

When he was nearly fourteen years old, 
the King allowed the young prince to go on 
his first boar hunt. Alfred was delighted, for 
ever since, as a little lad, he had one day rid- 
den with his father on the front of his saddle, 
he had longed to go on a hunt. 

The hunters met in the open space in front 
of the palace door. They were on horseback, 
and all carried spears. The dogs were leap- 
ing about them, eager to be off. The signal 
was given. Into the woods dashed the dogs. 



104 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

The hunters blew their horns, the dogs bayed, 
and the horses sprang forward. 

"They have found him!" was the shout, 
as the riders rushed on. 

The excited young prince was soon far ahead 
of the others. 

"The prince will be killed," shouted the 
man who had been intrusted with the care of 
Alfred. He urged on his horse. 

Far ahead was a little open space, and there 
was the young prince, his cap fallen from his 
head, his long yellow hair tossing in the sun- 
shine, and his face scarlet with excitement. 
He charged upon the boar again and again. 

The furious beast dashed at the horse that 
bore the prince. The horse sprang to one 
side, the boy's spear fell from his hand, and 
he himself rose in his stirrups, and seemed 
about to fall. 

The hunters pressed wildly on. 

Suddenly there was a shout of applause. 
The fearless boy had swung himself lightly 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 105 

from his horse's back into the branches of a 
great tree. 

"A spear ! Give me a spear !" he cried. 

The dogs were down below him. The boar 
was at bay, but was growing weaker. The 
hunters sprang forward with their spears 
ready to strike. 

"Hold," shouted one. "Give the prince a 
spear. He shall kill the boar!" 

In a few minutes the boy was standing 
flushed and happy, with his spear ifi his hand, 
and the great boar lay dead beside him. 

There was much rejoicing when the tired, 
dusty company rode home, dragging the 
boar behind them. 

The King gave a feast in honor of the prince's 
first hunt. There were beef and pork and 
mutton, but the great dish was the roasted 
flesh of the boar that Alfred had killed. When 
this was brought in and put at the head of 
the table, the harpers sang a song praising the 
deed of the little prince. 




A BRAVE RUSSIAN GIRL 



Elizabeth's father had once been rich and 
happy in Russia. He had many friends and 
lived in a beautiful castle. He had servants 
to wait upon him and fine horses and carriages 
to ride in. 

But one day all this was changed. 

The Emperor became angry with him, and 
sent him many, many miles away from his 
beautiful home. He was not allowed to take 
any money, and he was forbidden ever to go 
back to Russia. 

The poor man begged that he might take 
his wife and baby with him. This was 
granted. 

106 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 107 

Guarded by soldiers, they journeyed for 
many long days into a far country called 
Siberia. It was a cold, dreary country, 
where winter lasted nearly all the year. 
Early in September heavy snow fell and did 
not melt away until late in May. The sum- 
mers were so short that few plants could 
grow. 

Here the little family were given a tiny 
little house to live in. The poor man had to 
hunt animals and sell their fur to get food 
and clothes for his wife and child. 

For twelve long years they had lived in this 
country. During all that time they had not 
been allowed to go into the village or to have 
any one visit them. 

Elizabeth while only a little child was quite 
happy. She knew no other country than the 
cold, dreary one in which she lived. But as 
she grew older, she saw that her father and 
mother were not happy. She often asked 
them to tell her the cause. But for a long 



108 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

time they said only that they were far from 
their own country and friends. 

One day when Elizabeth was older, her 
father told her that he had been sent away by 
the Emperor and could never go back to his 
old home. 

Elizabeth thought about this for a long time. 
She was planning some way to make her 
father and mother happy. 

At last she decided that there was only one 
way to do it. She would go herself to St. 
Petersburg, where the Emperor lived. She 
would beg the Emperor to let her father go 
home. 

it was hundreds and hundreds of miles to 
St. Petersburg, and she must go all alone and 
on foot. The way led across a cold country 
where the snow was very deep and where 
hungry wolves made the traveling dan- 
gerous. 

Elizabeth was only a young girl, but she 
said: "I will go." 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 109 

She packed some dried fruit and a little 
bread in a deerskin bag. She hoped that 
this would be enough for a long time. When 
it was gone, she would have to beg of stran- 
gers. She had only a few cents in her pocket. 

At each town she would ask the nearest 
road to the next village on the way to St. 
Petersburg. 

Some of the people said : "The girl is crazy." 
Some laughed at her. 

A few were kind to her, and gave her food 
and a bed for the night. 

Through the summer months Elizabeth 
found it was not so hard as she had feared. 
She began to think that those who had told 
her of the dangers of the journey were mis- 
taken. The weather was fine, and she was 
often given a ride from one town to the next 
by good-natured drivers. But even with 
this help, she traveled so slowly that she had 
gone scarcely half the distance when winter 
set in. 



110 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

One day she came to a wide river filled with 
floating ice. It could only be crossed by going 
part of the way in a boat, then getting out and 
leaping from one piece of ice to the other. 
Even the boatmen, who were used to the 
river, would not undertake to cross, without 
a large reward. 

Elizabeth was about to jump into one of 
the boats. The men pushed her roughly 
away, saying that she must wait until the 
river was all frozen over. 

"How long will that be ?" she asked. 

"Two weeks, at least/' they answered. 

"Oh, I beg you to help me to cross now," 
she cried. "I am on my way to St. Peters- 
burg to ask the Emperor to pardon my father. 
I cannot wait here so long. I have no 
money." 

One of the men was so sorry for her that he 
said: "You are a good girl. Come, I will 
try to take you over." 

He took her in his boat half way across the 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 111 

river. Then the ice stopped him. He could 
row no farther. So he lifted the girl in his 
arms. Sometimes he walked on the ice; 
sometimes he leaped from one cake to an- 
other ; sometimes he had to wade in the cold 
water. At last he reached the other side of 
the river. 

Before going back to his boat, he gave 
Elizabeth some small pieces of money. 

"May God watch over you and protect 
you on your long journey/' he said. 

On another day there was a terrible storm. 
Great trees were blown over and fell crashing 
to the ground. The girl hid herself under 
some big rocks in a cave. There she stayed 
all night long, listening to the storm. 

Her clothing was torn. Her feet were al- 
most bare. But as soon as the storm was 
over, she started again on her way. 

When she reached the next village, she 
learned that some sledges were about to start 
for St. Petersburg. She told some of the 



112 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

drivers her story and begged them to take her 
with them. 

"Yes, you may come," they said. 

Her dress was too thin for a long, cold drive, 
but one of the men said : "You may have my 
fur coat. I am warmly dressed. I shall not 
freeze." 

So now the child rode happily on her 
way. 

The snowstorms were terrible. The trav- 
elers sometimes had to wait for days at some 
small town. At one of these places Elizabeth 
fell into the river and was almost drowned. 
She was taken into a convent near by, and 
there she lay sick for many weeks. 

"She will not see the Emperor. She will 
never see her father and mother again," said 
the good sisters who were taking care of her. 

But Elizabeth slowly got well. When the 
second winter came, she was ready to start 
once more. The kind sisters had made her 
warm clothes and had given her a little money. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 113 

As she came near a great city called Mos- 
cow, Elizabeth saw many carriages, horses, 
and people going into the city. She heard 
the report of cannon and the ringing of bells. 
In a timid voice she asked a woman what it 
all meant. 

"The Emperor is coming to Moscow/' re- 
plied the woman. "He is to be crowned 
there to-morrow.' ' 

The city was so full of pfeople that Eliza- 
beth wandered about nearly all night before 
she found a place to rest. 

The next morning she went to the church 
where the Emperor was to be crowned. 

It was very beautiful. More than a thou- 
sand candles were burning. The Emperor 
and his young wife were seated upon a daz- 
zling throne under a canopy of crimson 
velvet. 

Just as Alexander was about to take the 
oath as Emperor, a poor girl in a worn dress 
pushed her way through the crowd. Throw- 



114 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

ing herself on her knees before the throne, 
she cried: "Mercy! mercy !" It was Eliza- 
beth. 

There was great excitement. Then some 
soldiers rushed forward and dragged the girl 
from the church. 

The Emperor, however, had heard her. 

It was his most glorious day. His heart 
was full of joy. He would make others happy, 
too. So he sent for the poor girl. 

Elizabeth was taken before the Emperor 
and told him her story. 

Alexander then called for the order that 
had sent the girl's father from his home. 

"The pardon is granted/' he said. "Your 
father is free." 

At once the pardon was written and given 
to the girl. 

"Can I grant you any other wish?" asked 
the Emperor, kindly. 

"Oh, yes, your majesty," said Elizabeth. 
"Let me take the pardon to my father my- 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 115 

self. I want to give it to him with my own 
hands." 

"That, too, is granted," said the Emperor. 

A carriage and some soldiers were sent to 
take Elizabeth back to her parents. 

"My noble girl," said the father, as he held 
his loved daughter in his arms. 

The mother almost fainted with joy. 

In a few weeks the little family were once 
more in their beautiful old home in Russia. 




NOEL DUVAL 



It was a time of war, and there was great 
excitement among the people. The British 
troops were just across the border in Canada, 
and word came that they were getting ready 
to attack the Americans. 

The farmers left their fields to drill and 
form companies. Even the boys became ex- 
cited and were soon forming companies. 

One afternoon Noel Duval walked out to 
the fields where the boys were drilling. He 

116 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 117 

stood leaning on the fence, looking wistfully 
at the boys. 

There were about twenty in the company. 
The captain had a real sword, but the other 
boys used sticks for muskets. 

Noel was a thin, pale boy, about fifteen 
years old. One arm was stiff and almost use- 
less. But that was not the reason he had 
not been asked to join the company. 

His mother was an American. But his 
father had been a Canadian, and the boy had 
lived nearly all his life in Canada. He and 
his mother had been in America scarcely three 
months at this time. 

One of the boys saw Noel watching them. 
"Captain," he said, "shall we let Noel Duval 
join the company? I know he wants to." 

"We had better not," said the captain. 
" He may be a spy. We can't be too careful. 
Besides, he would be of no use with his stiff 
arm." 

So the boys said nothing to Noel. Bu£ he 



118 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

lingered and hoped that he would be asked to 
join. 

By and by it grew so dark that the boys 
had to stop. They were lying about on the 
ground near the woods, resting. There Noel 
joined them. 

Suddenly a party of men came into sight. 
They were walking fast and keeping close to 
the woods. 

The boys kept very still, and the men did 
not see them until they were close upon them. 

"What's this?" exclaimed the leader. 
"Don't move, boys. Not a word — not a 
move, or we shoot !" 

The boys were too frightened to either 
speak or move. From the uniforms of the 
men, the boys knew that they were British 
soldiers. 

"You won't be hurt if you keep quiet," 
said the officer, "but you must stay here." 

He told two of the men to stay and watch 
the boys. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 119 

"Do not let one of them escape/' he said. 
"If one moves, shoot him. Forward, men !" 

The two men left behind tied the wrists and 
ankles of each of the boys, so that they could 
not move. Then they stretched . themselves 
on the grass and began talking. They talked 
in French, but Noel was from Canada, too, 
and could talk French. He understood what 
they said, and he soon learned that the British 
were about to attack the village. 

" I must get away from here and warn the 
people/' he thought. "I will prove to them 
that I am no British spy." 

He worked at the knots with his teeth and 
at length he untied first one and then another. 
He was close to the woods, and it needed only 
one spring to carry him into the underbrush. 
But the men had sharp eyes and they saw the 
boy's first movement. One of them was up 
and after Noel before he had reached the 
woods. A bullet whizzed so close to the boy's 
head that it almost stunned him. 



120 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Noel knew that there was no danger from 
bullets when in the woods, for it was too dark 
for the man to take a sure aim. He ran like 
a deer, but the man kept close behind him. 
On, on, they went, stumbling over the bushes 
and sometimes falling to the ground. But 
Noel still kept ahead. 

Soon they came out of the woods into the 
fields. Here Noel stumbled over a cow that 
was just getting to her feet. She was fright- 
ened and ran on ahead. Noel ran a short 
distance, then turned in another direction. 
But the man followed the cow, thinking it 
was Noel. 

Now Noel could see the lights of the village 
in the distance. He saw that he had been 
running* away from the village instead of 
toward it. So he turned quickly and ran 
in the right direction. 

He had three miles to go, and he was tired. 
But he kept on. He had gone about half the 
distance, when he heard the sound of a horse's 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 121 

hoofs. He hid in the shadow of some bushes 
and waited. 

When the horse and its rider came into 
sight; Noel saw that it was the village doctor 
on his white pony. He stepped into the road. 

"It is I, doctor, Noel Duval/' he whispered. 
"Was everything quiet ii^L the village when 
you left?" 

" Quiet as usual/ 7 said the doctor. " What's 
the matter, lad? Why are you trembling 
and panting so?" 

"The British are going to attack the vil- 
lage to-night," said Noel. "Let me have 
your pony, doctor. I must get to the vil- 
lage to warn them, and I am tired out." 

The doctor looked sharply at the boy in 
the dim light. Then he jumped down from 
the pony. 

"I'll take the risk," he said. "You look 
as if you knew what you are about. I'll fol- 
low you on foot. It will go hard with you, if 
you are deceiving me." 



122 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

Noel sprang upon the pony and was out 
of hearing long before the doctor had finished 
speaking. 

When he had almost reached the village, 
a man suddenly stepped out into the road. 

"Halt!" he ordered. 

It was a British soldier. 

Noel bent low in the saddle and struck the 
pony with his whip. 

A rifle blazed in his face. The pony was 
frightened but did not stop. It ran on faster 
than ever, and Noel held on for dear life. He 
felt a sharp pain where a bullet had gone 
through the flesh. He grew faint and had to 
clutch the saddle tightly with his knees to 
keep on. When he reached the village, he 
was so dizzy that he could scarcely see. 

The sound of the galloping horse brought 
the men to their doors. 

"The British are coming! They're close 
by !" gasped Noel, as he fell from the saddle. 

There was shouting and hurrying to and 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 123 

fro. Then the beating of a drum and the 
ringing of the church bell were heard. Men 
came running from all parts of the village. 

But Noel Duval heard nothing of all the 
noise. It was many days before he knew any- 
thing. Then he learned how the British had 
been defeated and driven back into Canada. 

When Noel was well again, the village 
boys came to see him and asked him to join 
their company. 

"We want you to be our captain/' they 
said. 

Later the story of how Noel Duval saved 
the village was told in Congress, and Congress 
voted him a hero and thanked him for his 
aid. 




A Friend of the Prince. 
124 



A FRIEND OF THE PRINCE 

"Martin, Martin !" called a woman's voice. 

The boy sitting by the brook did not move. 

"Martin, Martin !" called the voice again 
and again. 

But the boy only drew farther back into 
the shadow. There he sat and watched his 
mother lead their cow down to the edge of the 
water. 

It was the first time in his life that he had 
failed to answer to his mother's call. But 
to-day something had happened to Martin. 
He wanted to be alone to think about it. 

Martin was nearly fifteen years old, and 
nothing had ever happened to him before. 
Ever since he could remember he had done 
the same dull work day after day. He was 
tired of going to the poppy field to work with 
his mother. He was tired of taking care of 

125 



126 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

the cow and the chickens. He was tired of 
eating porridge and brown bread. 

To-day he was more tired of it all than ever 
before. And all because he had seen a boy of 
about his own age on a beautiful black horse ! 

This boy wore a handsome riding suit, such 
as Martin had never seen before. He was 
riding with several gentlemen who were all 
richly dressed. Martin had pulled his cow 
to one side of the road to make room for the 
gay party. He had grown red in the face as 
he heard some of the men make jokes about 
him. 

But the strange boy looked at him kindly. 

Turning to his friends he said : " Gentlemen, 
you forget the value of such strength. I 
should like to have even half the muscle of 
that arm/' 

"Your Highness, would it not be well for 
us to hasten ?" asked one of the gentlemen. 
"Your royal father will not allow you to leave 
the palace again, if we are late/' 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 127 

"You are right," answered the young Prince. 
"Let us hasten." 

Martin stood and watched them until they 
were out of sight. Then, leaving the cow to 
find her way home as best she could, he sat 
down by the brook to think. 

At last something had happened to him! 
He had something new to think about ! 

That was why he did not answer his moth- 
er's call — and why he hid himself in the shadow 
of the bushes. Suddenly he sprang up. 

"I will serve the Prince," he cried. "He 
has no muscle of his own. He shall have 
mine." 

In the house he found his mother before 
the big black fireplace. She was stirring 
porridge for their supper. On the rough 
wooden table was a huge piece of brown bread 
and two bowls. 

The mother asked no questions, but she 
watched the boy during supper and talked 
of her day in the poppy fields. When the 



128 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

meal was cleared away, she went to his side 
and said : "What aileth thee, my son?" 

Then Martin told her all ; how he disliked 
his dull life, and how he wished to go to the 
city and serve the young Prince. 

The mother tried to tell him of the dangers 
of the city. She tried to make him feel more 
contented with their quiet country life. It 
was of no use. Martin could think only of 
the beauty and kindness of his Prince. 

"Mother, the Prince needs me," he said. 
"He is pale and has no strength, and see how 
strong I am. Surely I should use that strength 
for my Prince." 

So, before many days, Martin sat beside 
old Jacques in his two-wheeled cart. He was 
on the way to the city, where the Prince lived. 
In his pocket was a letter to an uncle. The 
mother knew that the uncle would look after 
her son and see that he came to no harm. 

What a fine morning it was ! For the first 
time in his life Martin seemed really to hear 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 129 

the birds sing. Eagerly he watched for the 
first sight of the city. How high and grand 
the big towers of the cathedral were ! How 
fine the buildings ! How wide the streets ! 
What crowds of people, and how cheerful they 
all looked ! 

"Here we are/' cried old Jacques, and Mar- 
tin was at the end of his journey. 

He was in such a hurry to begin his new life 
that he hardly said good-by to Jacques. He 
jumped down from the cart and pulled the 
bell of his uncle's house. 

It had been many years since the uncle had 
seen his sister, and he was pleased that she 
had sent her son to him. 

"You have come at the right time/' he 
said. "The young Prince wants a boy of 
his own age for a companion. I shall take you 
to the King and ask him to place you with 
the Prince/ 7 

Martin was surprised when he saw the 
palace. Its narrow windows were all barred 



130 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

with iron, and the door was dark and was 
guarded by soldiers. Martin thought it was 
like a prison. He had never been near a 
palace before and had expected it to be very 
bright and beautiful. 

While his uncle went to talk with the King, 
Martin sat on a stone bench in a large room 
whose walls and floor were all of stone. On 
the walls were many swords and shields. 

By and by a page came for him, and he was 
shown into the throne room. He found this 
room more like what he had expected in a 
king's palace. Beautiful banners hung upon 
the walls, and richly dressed gentlemen stood 
about the room. At one end was the throne, 
and there sat the King. 

Martin would have knelt before the throne, 
but the King said, "Stand, my boy, I want 
to look at you." 

After looking at him for what seemed to, 
Martin a long time, the King turned to his 
uncle, and did not again speak to the boy. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 131 

By and by Martin was taken to the young 
Prince. 

Prince Charles was at the top of a high 
tower looking out over the park. He was 
tired and cross and would have nothing to 
do with any of his companions. But his face 
brightened when he saw Martin. He had 
often wished for a boy friend. 

"I have come to place this arm at your ser- 
vice/' said Martin. "You once said you 
wished for such strength. Let me use mine 
for you." 

"Ah, I remember you/' cried Prince Charles. 
"This pleases me well. I am glad to see you 
again." 

Then, turning to his companions, he said, 
"Leave us alone together, and tell my father 
I thank him for this gift." 

So Martin made his home in the palace 
and became a close friend to the young Prince. 
For many months he lived happily, and al- 
most forgot his old, dull life in the country. 



132 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

One day the Prince and his followers were 
returning to the palace after a long journey. 
In a country road they passed a woman bend- 
ing under a heavy load of wood. It made 
Martin think of his mother. A great longing 
to see her came over him. Did she miss him 
very much ? Tears came to his eyes. He was 
afraid that the men would see them; so he 
left the road and went into the woods. He 
wandered about for a time. Then he threw 
himself on the ground to think, just as he had 
done on that day when he first saw the Prince. 
This time he was planning how he could have 
his mother with him. 

Suddenly a hand was laid upon his shoul- 
der. He glanced up to find several rough 
looking men around him. 

"Take him to the chief," said one, and he 
was half led, half dragged to a clearing where 
a great fire blazed. 

Around the fire sat a number of men, all 
rough and fierce looking. 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 133 

"Speak up, boy/' said a sharp voice. 
"Who are you? How did you come here? 
Where are you going ?" 

Pale with fright, Martin told them. 

"Let me go back to my mother/' he begged. 

"You may go to her after you have done 
what we wish/' said the man. "Do you 
know who we are? You belong with us. 
Your mother is poor because the King takes 
all from her. We mean to change this and 
let the poor have what is theirs. It is not 
right for the King to have riches and for us to 
have nothing. Where does the Prince stop 
to rest to-day?" 

"At Angers," replied Martin. "But what 
do you want with Prince Charles ? He never 
harmed any one in his life. He is always kind 
to the poor. It is through no fault of his that 
there are poor people in the world." 

"We mean him no harm," said the man. 
"We want him with us for a while. We will 
keep him safe when we get him," 



134 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

"But you cannot get him/' said Martin. 
"He has many archers and knights with 
him." 

"Has he as many men as I?" asked the 
chief, raising a whistle to his lips. 

At the sound men seemed to spring out of 
the ground. In a moment the clearing was 
filled with an army of ragged men. 

"Listen, boy," said the chief, "you tell 
us the Prince is kind to the poor. It will do 
him no harm to stay with us for a short time. 
He will soon be King. We want him to see 
with his own eyes what it means to be poor. 
You belong with us, as you are poor, and you 
should be willing to help us." 

"What can I do?" asked Martin. 

"The playmate of the Prince can do much," 
said the chief. " Go back to the Prince and 
tell him about us. Tell him that if he wishes, 
he may see us. You and he can arrange to 
fall a little behind the rest of the party. Then 
whistle and we will be with you," 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 135 

"Are you sure no harm will be done to the 
Prince ?" asked Martin, 

"No harm will be done to him, and you will 
go home to your mother a hero with plenty 
of money in your pockets, too. You had 
better not refuse us," added the chief, laying 
his hand upon his sword. 

Martin promised to do what they asked. 

A man led him through the woods so that 
he came out on the road not far behind the 
Prince's party. 

As soon as they were alone, Martin told the 
Prince about the ragged army in the woods and 
what they wanted him to do. The Prince was 
delighted with the thought of an adventure. 

"My father often talks to the poor people," 
he said. "Why should not I ? It can do me 
no harm. We will go." 

So Prince Charles and Martin fell behind 
the others. When they came to a bend in 
the road, they left the path and rode into the 
woods. 



136 BOY AND GIRL HEROES 

" Now for our new friends! " cried the Prince. 

Martin raised his fingers to his lips and 
blew a long, soft note. 

At once men sprang up from the bushes. 
They lifted the boys from their horses and 
carried them quickly into the thick woods. 
Not a word was spoken. 

The boys began to feel frightened. These 
men had promised to do them no harm ; but 
could they be trusted ? Martin tried to speak, 
but a hand was roughly placed over his mouth 
and a harsh voice bade him be quiet. 

Just then a bugle call rang out. The Prince 
had been missed by his friends. 

Martin gave a wild shout, but the rough 
hand again stopped his mouth. They were 
hurried forward at a run. 

The knights had heard Martin's call and 
were hurrying to the rescue. An arrow struck 
the ground close beside the boys; another, 
then another went whizzing by. At any mo- 
ment one might strike the Prince ! 



BOY AND GIRL HEROES 137 

Martin struggled in the arms of the man and 
at last freed himself. Rushing to the man 
who held the Prince, he threw his arms about 
them both while he shouted with all his 
might, " To the Prince ! To the Prince ! 
Help, help!" 

With a shout the knights came on. 

The men of the woods were no match for 
these trained knights and archers. The fight 
was soon over. 

Martin threw himself at the feet of Prince 
Charles. 

"Forgive me, my Prince, forgive me!" he 
cried. " Say you are not hurt. " 

But before Prince Charles could answer, an 
arrow struck Martin and he fell dead at the 
feet of his Prince. 



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Popular folklore in dialogue, for first grade, by Mrs. E. E. K. Warner, author 
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Fairy and folklore stories for second or third grade, by Kate F. Oswell. 

Boy and Girl Heroes 

Stories of child life of famous characters, by Florence V. Farmer, author of 
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Historical Plays 

Famous history stories put in dramatic form for reading, and also for acting by 
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Publishers 64-66 Fifth Avenue New York 



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